ab incision question (almost 5 weeks)

I will be 5 weeks post op on Monday. Steri strips have been gone for about 2 weeks. My incision looks good. But on the very ends it doesn't look healed like the middle portion does. I can tell the glue is ready to crumble off but it looks like a hole might be left behind. And also it feels hard underneath the ends.

Anybody else had this happen? Do you think it is normal? I go to the doctor on Monday....I'll tell him my concerns.

The hardness on the ends is where they tie the knots. It will dissolve over time and flatten out as will the whole scar. Are you sure it's a hole and not just indented? Mine is idented and feels like it goes inward more because of the swelly belly but in time the scar tissue will all disappear and will blend in flat. Once it's healed good around 5 or 6 weeks you can lightly massage the scar area to help break down the scar tissue. As weeks go on you can massage harder. Cream helps you to move your fingers over it but only use something that will not irritate the incision.

You might want to check with your doctor; I had a portion of my incision that wouldn't heal because of a seroma. It's probably nothing, but piece of mind is priceless!

Good luck!

I had my TAH on 3/14. My sterie strips didn't fall off until day 17 which tripped out my doc. The incision was sorta crusty afterwards but quickly started to finish healing. Now its got some dents like on the ends where I had my only external stitch. It looked like fishing line. Very odd and very pokey on my skin occasionally. That stitch didn't fall out until the day before yesterday and its now left a bit of a hole/dent. I can't tell which it is but its filling in nicely though. Its very itchy though and its peeling which I think is odd but I've been told its normal.
If your incision isn't healing then I'd start to worry. Not healing at 5 weeks is a problem and I'd definately go talk to your doc to see what s/he suggests to do. If its just dents and cosmetic stuff, I wouldn't worry too much. I was told it will take months for the incision to flatten out and not be so hard and icky. I figure if its Christmas and mine still looks all hard, peely and itchy, I'll go talk to doc and see what she thinks about it.

I broke a stictch or pulled one at week one, and at week two, ask dr about hole in stomach-he said it would heal in time. I am now at week 5 and still that spot is raw and open...I called dr's office and questioned it, because I go back to work in a week, they said, it will take time to close-but it is ok, just keep the area dry and let air get to it-get this, it is in the fold of my lap-unless I plan on layng down for the rest of my life will it ever heal-ha ha...It does not hurt, more of a mental-ewww that looks gross-but we'll see...good luck!

I have this same concern. I had my TAH on 4/11. When I went to the doctor on the 18th to have my staples removed, they took off the steri-strips, and then the nurse decided to put them back on and told me to take them off 3 days later. When I started taking them off, the top looked ok but about 2 inches below my belly buttone, I was still open and was in no way connected, so I quick put them back on. I check every couple of days and I still will spread apart. It isn't like I am pulling on it to see if it comes apart, it just does. Interested to see what you doctor says. I am assuming you had a vertical incision not a horizontal one.

Deb

I sort of have the same problem. My TAH/BSO was on 3/20, and I will be 5 weeks out on Monday. I have one tiny spot on my incision that is not completely closed up...sort of a tiny hole looking, but just not together like the rest of the incision. It leaks a clear/yellowish fluid if I do too much, so I have to wear a gauze because there is so much leakage some days. I called the dr's office, and they told me that as long as it is not red in the area, or hard around it, or that the fluids are not green or have a horrible smell, to just ignore it and let it heal itself by keeping it clean and letting the air get at it occasionally.
It's hard to change that gauze every day and not feel like something is wrong. The rest of the incision looks good, I only hope something isn't wrong causing this drainage from that spot.

it looks like I have a butt crack on both sides of me now! It is funny, but at the same time not!

Deb